Archive for “Group Training” Tag

Young Athletes Coaching

I have seen a fair amount of discussion on the merits of individual long term training vs. team long term training. I will submit a later entry to compare short term vs. long term training. My question is: Why do any of these things have to be mutually exclusive?

All I want to do here is share some approaches I or associates have used in the past with my young athletes:

Whole team long term training:

The positives: There is a long term relationship where the team can get used to a certain approach. You get to interact with the kids possibly throughout the critical athletic development years. Additionally, kids get to train with each other, and build team camaraderie. This approach can make training more affordable, and possibly result in more revenue.

The negatives (dependent on number of coaches and approach): Less one-one attention and some movement difficulties can fall through the cracks. There is less flexibility of routine and adjustment to routine when training a whole team (though the long term part of it helps to ease that a little).

Individual long term training:

Positives: There is a long term relationship where the coach can closely monitor the student. Movement difficulties can be more easily addressed. There is total freedom in adjusting to what makes this particular child “tick”.

Youth Coaching Strategies

Through both my articles and seminar series, I discuss the Art of youth Coaching quite frequently.

The Art of Coaching infers that it is not what you know as a coach that matters.

It’s how you can relay it to young athletes.

This is a common concern I see especially with younger coaches just out of college and still looking to impress people with there high intellect and advanced vocabulary. In fact, out industry is littered with coaches who talk a great game, seek out as much PR and notoriety as they can, but don’t truly have any degree of experience or ability when it comes to effectively applying training strategies to athletes in unique and varying settings.

In that, I want to discuss today a youth coaching strategy that I have used that truly enables young athletes to master a given technique.

Rewrite Strategies

If you have ever been driving in a car with a small group of teenagers and had a familiar song come on the radio, you have already experienced in practicality the essence of a rewrite strategy.

Q – I am already certified through another organization, why
would I want to become certified through the IYCA?

A – Great question!

Here’s the reality…

… No other certification in existence today prepares you to
work with young athletes and youth fitness participants the way
we do.

We do not offer education or certifications in ‘elite athlete
training’, ‘older adult fitness’ or ‘nutrition and weight
management’.

YOUTH is all we do… it’s what we know and where our passion is.

Would you go to a Chiropractor if you needed heart surgery?

Would you go to the Dentist for an annual physical?

If you want the best, want to be the best and want be prepared
for the largest market surge this industry has ever seen, you
simply MUST be educated and credentialed by the organization that
has already been recognized as the ‘Gold Standard’ for youths.

Check out what former Men’s Health Fitness Editor Scott Quill
has to say about the IYCA and our ‘Gold Standard’ reputation –

"The IYCA’s advice is smart and practical and their programs
are developed with a real passion for helping coaches and kids
succeed. The IYCA is changing the way we train our youth"

Recognizing market trends is an essential part of building and
growing a strong and prosperous career.

If you jump on board a moving train too late, bad things happen!

The youth demographic has surged into one of the largest and
most opportunity-rich niches in the entire Fitness and Sport
Training industry.

It has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the
fastest growing markets in the world and received attention from
mainstream media as well.

That’s why I’ve appeared in notable publications like Newsweek
and the New York Times and why the IYCA is being endorsed by
large media outlets including ESPN.

Have a look at what ESPN writer Tom Farrey has to say on the
matter –

"Brian Grasso is a voice of reason and a beacon of hope for
anyone who wants kids to develop fitness patterns for life, and
for athletes to achieve their full potential"

The youth market is by far and away the industry’s ‘next big
thing’ and by not learning how to work with kids properly, you
are cutting yourself out of a market that grosses into the
BILLIONS of revenue each year.

Q – I would love to work with kids, but keep hearing about how
regimented training is bad for children. Is this true?

A – This is one of the silliest ‘myths’ on the planet today.

Is the regimented aspect of school bad for kids?

You could argue that kids should be left on their own and
experience education through an informal way that best suits
their needs.

And you’d be wrong if you argued that!

Working with kids in a fitness setting is positively essential.

The days when kids used to just go out and play on their own
are all but gone.

And the widespread incidence of youth obesity is proof of that.

Fitness for kids is not just ‘fitness’…

… It’s DEVELOPMENTAL FITNESS.

It involves teaching aspects of movement, force production and
absorption, social interaction and cooperation.

It is a science unto itself and must be infused into the lives
of young children if they have any hope of succeeding in sports
or growing up into healthy and functionally fit adults.

The IYCA motto on this issue is simple –

M.O.L.D

M = Movement must dominate

O = Open yourself up to communication variances

L = Learning styles change per child

D = Develop… Don’t train

These four key steps are at the core of what we teach you in our
‘Level 1 – Youth Fitness Specialist’ certification.

Here’s what Kelli Calebrese, international fitness authority and
Editor-in-Chief of Personal Fitness Professional magazine, says –

"I know so many Trainers who want to work with kids but don’t
really know how. Brian and the IYCA have a formula that works
and takes away all the guesswork for those professionals who
aspire to change the health and improve the performance of
today’s youth"

————–

Those are the most common questions I received yesterday.

I hope I’ve clarified some things for you.

If you want to check out what the IYCA offers and jump on board
with our international mission, just click on the link below –